Apparatus for conveying and assorting poultry according to weight



Feb; 1o, 194s. s. s. BARKER 2,435,706

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AND ASSORTING kPOUL'IKRY ACCORDING TO WEIGHTFiled May 11, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb.'` 10,1948. s. s. BARKER2,435,706

APPARATUS FORVCONVEYING AND ASSORTING POULTRY ACCORDING TO WEIGHT FiledMay 11, 194s 2 sheets-Sheet 2 atented Feb.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AND ASSORT- -INGPOULTRY ACCORDING TO WEIGHT Seth S. Barker, Ottumwa, Iowa.

Application May 11, 1943, Serial No. 486,516

2 Claims. (Cl. 209-7121) My invention relates to `aplnaratus forhandling poultry on a high production basis.

It is an object of my invention to facilitate the handling andclassification of poultry in produce houses where the Volume of poultrybusiness warrants extensive use of mechanical equipment. It is wellknown that poultry as a source of meat is gaining tremendously Yinimportance vin the nations markets. Improvements .in breeding `andraising methods are making possible higher quality and greateruniformity. But methods of preparing and packing' poultry for markethave in many respects failed to keep pace with the increase in volume ofthe business.

It is well known also that the shortage of labor, and the relative"inexperience and instability of such labor as maybe available, make itimportant toperform as many operations as possible .without .manualintervention.

It is another object .of my invention to provide .apparatus forautomatically sorting poultry according to weight.

With these and other .objects in view, my invention consists in .thearrangement and .combination .of parts whereby 'the objects of theinvention are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed -outin the claims, and `illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the layout of atypical apparatus .suitable for carrying out my method;

Figure 2 is a top View illustrating an automatic shackle of myinvention, particularly suitable -for use in a systemof the-kind which Ishall-describe;

Figure 3 `is a side view of the shackle shown vin Figure 2;

Figure 4 .is a -horizontal sectional view 'taken A on the .line 4-4 vof.Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an .end elevational view of the shackle shown in Figure2,;and particularlyillustrates its coaction with .the-releasing cam;

Figure 6 is an elevational view -of an automatic weight responsivereceiver;

Figure 7 is a view-somewhat similar to Figure 6, but Vshows the`receiver in the .positionfoccupied when a bird is discharged;

Figure 8 is a'fragmentarydetail view as on the line 8-8 of Figure .7.,illustrating one stage in the operation of alatchV releasing cam 'whichmay be used in connection '.with the receiver of Figures 6 and'l;

Figure 9 is similar toFigureB, and illustrates another stage in theoperation of the latch releasing cam;

Figure 10 illustrates operation :of the vlatch releasing cam underslightlydiierentconditions, and

Figure 11 gillu'strates lthe .action :of the .latch releasing'cam understill :another set of conditions.

, ,In the drawings, Ihave usedthereferencelnumeral Il) .to indicategenerally a conveyor, which may be .of any suitable type, `such as anendless chain l2, .driven .by power means (not shown) and ,carrying aplurality ,of spaced poultry carry.- ing shackles Vindicated generallyas I4.

Myinvention contemplates broadly the provision of such a conveyor,equipped with shackles of a type which will automatically release .thebirds when a certain point on the conveyor is reached. In the apparatusillustrated, I provide an inclined plane or .cam surface i6, .fixed withrelationto ,the pathof theconveyonand engage,- able with a .collar :IB.on each shackle Ito cause release .of the bird supported v.by thatshackle.

Beneath the .overhead .conveyor 1.0, I` provide a pluralityoi weightvresponsive receivers indicated 'generally by the letter W. In .theparticular `exempliiication of my invention illustrated in the drawings,Ihave shown .these receivers as vmount.- `ed on 'chains 2 0, .by whichthey .are moved `in a .direction transverse to the line .of movement .ofthe .overhead conveyor :i0 .at .the .point where the -cam Yiii islocated.v The relative speeds vof the conveyor l0 and the chain 20 areadjusted so that a .receiver W will pass :beneath thelconveyor lill,each` time that .a .shackle I4 arrives `at the .release cam :1.6. `Thereceiver W isprovided .with a funnel-shaped bucket 12| having a.relatively fixed .portion .22 with a movable Vportion 24 .attachedlthereto tby hinges 2li. The parts .22 and 2.4 arefnormally heldtogether .by :theengagement .of :a .-latch `2li :witha lug 3l).

Thefbucket 2f] :is carried on a weight responsive suspension, so thatthe elevation .of the .bucket lisdetermined .by the weight .of the.'bird dropped .intogit from a shackle 14, as it passes .beneath thefeonveyor l0. .Iprovide suitable vmeansforreleasing .the ,latch 28 atvarious points along v.the .path :of .the fchain '20, according to .the.weight of the fbird. Thus, for example, if lit is a..three-pound bird,the. latch `will be released at rthe .position A finFigure l, andthebird .willhe .discharged into tub .3.2.V rIf it is a four-.pound ibi-rd,the latch will be released at the vposition:indicated as .B yin .Fig-.ure A1, and .the .bird will be discharged into tub 5.4. .It will thusbe .seen that I yhave provideda method whereby birds areautomaticallyreleased rom their .shackles .on 'the conveyor l0, trans--ferred .toautomatieweighing devices W, and selectivelydischarged by#the `weighing .devices into suitabletubs orother vesse1s,fclassif1edaccording .to weight. All .these .operationsof .removal from theoverhead conveyor, .-weighing, and placement in .gra-ding binsaccordingto weight, have here.- tofore .beenperformed manually, and my .methodashereinset forth permitssubstantial economies in the procedure..In.addition, vit freesthe poul .try ahousezoperator from .theproblems:of replacing and training `workers .-on 'these jobs, and. the.diiicnlties .arisingirom .mistakes .made by inexperi, enced workers.

3 The shackle I4 includes a frame member 36 having a bottoml portion 38,and side members 48, the latter being joined at the top to form a guideportion 42. A support rod 44 is carried from the chain I2 by anysuitable type of swinging joint, as illustrated at 46. The rod 44extends through the bottom 38 of the frame 36, and is suitably fastenedthereto at 48 as by welding or riveting. The ends of the bottom portion38 are provided with notches, indicated at 56. Coacting with each notchis a locking plate 52, pivoted at 54 and having an irregular outline, asseen particularly in Figures 2 and 4. This outline com-y prises an edge56 constituting a rather sharp spiral with respect to the pivot center54. When the leg of a chicken, illustrated at 58 in Figure 4, is movedinto the notch ,58 and bears against the surface 56 of the lockingplate, it tends to rotate the locking plate clockwise against the actionof a light spring 66 which is fixed at one end 62 to the bottom 38, andat the other end 64 to the locking plate at a point spaced from thepivot 54.

In Figure 2, the locking plates are illustrated in their normal openposition. In Figure 4, the

left hand locking plate is illustrated at an intermediate position,after it has rotated somewhat clockwise during the insertion of the legof the chicken, The right hand locking plate in Figure 4 is illustratedat the fully closed position, after the leg of the chicken has beenthrust all the way to the bottom of the notch 58. Each locking plate isprovided with a tongue 66 so arranged as to extend across the outerportionof the notch 58 when the locking plate reaches its fully closedposition, as illustrated at the right in Figure 4. In this position, ofcourse, the leg of the chicken or other fowl is Vcompletely surrbundedand securely held.

A portion of the periphery of the locking plate 52 is cut on an arc of acircle around the pivot 54 and is provided with an upstanding curvedflange member 68. The upper edge of the member 68 is formed along thegeneral lines of a helix with respect to the axis of the pivot 54. Theformation of the member 68 in this respect is seen particularly inFigures 3 and 5. The helical edge of the member 68 is provided withnotches or teeth 'I8, so that it can function as a ratchet, and a pawlmember 'I2 is provided to ride on the teeth 'I6 and .thus to maintainthe locking plate 52 in closed position, as illustrated at the right inFigure 4. A pawl 'I2, as described, is provided for each of the twolocking plates, and the pawls are mounted on pins 'I4 carried byprojections 'I6 on the side members 46 of the frame, and joined by acommon collar 'I8 which encircles the central rod 44. On the rod 44 is atubular sleeve 86 on which the collar I8 is mounted. The tubular sleeve88 extends slidably through the guide portion 42 of the frame- At itslower end, the sleeve 88 carries a disc 82.

The pawls 'I2 are provided with short, rounded lever ends 84, slightlyupturned, so that they extendto a higher level than other portions ofthe pawl when the latter is engaged with the teeth on the member 68. Thedisc 82 is adapted to engage the ends 84 of the pawls and when presseddown against them serves to release the pawls from the ratchet teeth'I8, thus allowing the locking discs 52 to open and release the birdbeing carried. A coil spring 86 is carried on the rod 44 between thebottom 38 and the disc 82, the opening through the collar 'I8 being madelarge enough to provide ample clearance. The spring 86 serves to raisethe disc V82,'the sleeve 88 and the collar I8, so that the disc 82 isnormally out of Contact with thepawl lever portions 84. When the shackleis `carried along by the conveyor, however, to the point where thecollar I8 is engaged by the cam I6, as may be seen in Fig. 3, the sleeve86 is moved downwardly, causing the disc 82 to press against the ends 84of the pawl members and release the locking discs. As soon as theshackle has passed the cam I6, the disc is moved up again by the spring86, and the pawls are again ready for engagement with the ratchet teeth,inasmuch as the tooth engaging end, being longer than the lever end 84,moves downwardly under the influence of gravity. A spring can beprovided for .positive operation if that be desired. A

When the fowl is released upon Adepression of the collar I8 by the camI6, it drops into one of the buckets 2|, the operation of the conveyorchains 28 by which the buckets are advanced being timed, as previouslydescribed, so that a bucket comes below the shackle at the properinstant. rl'he xed member 22 of the bucket is fastened to a verticalpost 88. This post is attached, in turn, to a vertical support 96 bylinks 62 and 94, pivoted to the members 88 and 98 in a parallelogramarrangement, the pivots being indicated at 96, 88, |88 and |62 inFigures 6 and 7. The link 64 is extended beyond the member 96 to form anarm |84 on which a weight |06 is adjustably carried. The member 98 maybe provided with a graduated quadrant |68 bearing indicia I I6 which, inconjunction with a. reference mark H2 on the arm |84, serve to indicatethe weight of the fowl carried in the bucket 2|. It will be apparentfrom the structure of the linkage described, that when a weight isplaced in the bucket, the link 94 and the arm |64 will swing clockwiseabout the pivot |82, raising the Weight I 86 to a position ofequilibrium, at which the system will ultimately come to rest. Thisequilibrium positionv will vary, however, according to the weight of thebird held in the bucket 2 I. The exact position for a, bird of givenweight can be varied by adjustment of the weight |86 along the arm |84.

Provision of the bucket-2| in the funnel shape indicated, has anadvantage which is illustrated particularly in Figure 7. It will benoted from this figure that when the movable portion 24 of the bucket isreleased, the fowl carried in the bucket is discharged in a sidewarddirection, so that the vat or barrel 32 receiving the fowl can be placedto one side'of the bucket conveyor system. This simplifies constructionof the conveyor, and also greatly reduces the problem of handling thebarrels or tubs 32.

To accomplish selective discharge of the birds from the bucketsaccording to weight, I have devised a, latch controlling means havingparticular advantages. The latch 28 is pivoted at 96, and extends beyondthe pivot point in the form of a lever arm II4. An operating rod I I6 isconnected to the outer end of vthe lever arm, and is slidably guidedthrough an eye II8 provided on the pivot 98. At its lower end, theoperating rod is split or forked to form a clevis end |28 in which atrip member |22 is carried on a. pivot |24.

On a, xed support, I provide a rail or cam bar |28 extending along theside of the conveyor parallel to the lower feed chain 28, just below theclevis end |28 of the operating rod ||6. On this cam bar I mountoperatingblocks or cams of various heights. In Figures 8-1l, I haveillustrated such cams, and in Figures 8 and 9 I show cams designated as|2811, of a, height particularly suitable, for example, to cause releaseof the latch on buckets carrying fowls weighing substantially threepounds. In Figure 10, I illustrate a cam block |28c of somewhat lowerheight, being suitable, for example, to release the latch on a buckethaving a fowl weighing substantially four pounds. In Figure 11 is showna higher cam block |28a, suggested as being suitable for emptying abucket carrying a two-pound fowl.

It will be understood that the level of the pivot |24 at the clevis endof the operating rod I I6 will depend upon the weight of the fowlcarried in the associated bucket, the heavier the fowl, the lower beingthe position of the pivot, as determined by the equilibrium point of thescale balance arrangement.

My cam trip system has the advantage that neither a cam block which istoo high nor one which is too low will release the latch. Only one ofthe proper height for the weight carried in the bucket will perform thisoperation. It is thus possible to arrange the cams in any desired orderalong the cam bar |26. They need not be arranged in order of decreasingfowl weights.

Assuming that the bucket carries a threepound fowl, we see in Figure 8the trip member |22 approaching thecam block of 4the proper height torelease the latch. The cam block is xed in position, and the carryingrod ||0 may be regarded as moving toward the left in the gure. The tripmember consists of a roughly L- shaped piece, having a relatively shortadvance arm |30 and a somewhat longer, heavier arm |32, which, becauseof its greater weight, normally hangs somewhat lower than the arm |30.Figure 8 illustrates the position in which the trip member normallyhangs.

Under these circumstances, the advance arm |30 will clear the top of thecam block |28b as the carrying rod moves above it. The block is ofsucient length in the direction of travel of the conveyor so that botharms of the trip member must ride across the top of the block. The arm|32 must therefore rise to the top surface of the block While the arm|30 is still sliding across it. The result will be a lifting of thepivot point |24 by an amount indicated at |34 in Figure 9. This issufcient to cause movement of the lever |I4, and release of the latch 28from the coacting member 30, which results in dumping the fowl into thetub adjacent cam block |2811.

In Figure 10, we have an illustration of the operation of the tripmember when the bucket carries a three-pound fowl and passes the cam|28c, which is of the proper height to release four-pound fowls. Asbefore, the arm of the trip member will clear 'the cam block, but whenthe arm |32 of the trip member rises to the top of the block, asindicated in dotted lines in Figure 10, the height of the block isinsufficient to cause any lifting of the rod H6. In Figure 11 is shownthe operation of the trip member when it engages a cam block too highfor the load carried in the bucket. If the load in the bucket is threepounds, and the cam |28a is the one set for two pounds,

as suggested, the arm |30 of the trip member will be caught by theleading edge of the cam block,

with the result that the trip member will be turned about 90, asillustrated in dotted lines in Figure 11, and no lifting effect on therod ||6 will take place.

It will be understood, therefore, that I have devised a very simple andeffective arrangement for distributing the birds according to weight,

and a. method which does not require distribution in any particularsequence, since the cams can be arranged in whatever order makes thehandling of the vessels 32 and 34, etc., most convenient. The order ofthe cams can be changed as desired without adversely affecting theoperation of the system in any way.

Changes in details of construction of the apparatus may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In conjunction with a traveling scale mounted receiver havingdischarge means normally held closed by a latch, latch releasing meansconsisting of a member which disengages the latch when vertically raiseda predetermined distance, a trip dog pivotally carried on said member,said dog having two horizontally spaced depending arms, aligned in thedirection of travel of said receiver, and being balanced so that the tipof the leading arm is somewhat higher than that of the trailing arm, anda xed cam block having a length greater than the distance between saidarms, the elevation of the top of said block being less than that of thetip of the leading arm of the dog, and greater than that of the tip ofthe trailing arm, whereby when both tips are on top of the cam, the dogwill be raised, lifting the latch disengaging member by saidpredetermined amount.

2. A poultry handling device including a plurality of weight-responsivereceivers mounted to move along a predetermined path, mountings for saidreceivers adapted to make the vertical elevation of the receivers varyaccording to the load carried therein, each mounting having asubstantially vertical post supporting its receiver, a substantiallyparallel vertical support, parallel links pivoted respectively to thepost and support, an inclined arm on one link and a weight adjustablymounted on the arm; each said receiver comprising members pivotedtogether at their upper ends, a latch pivoted on the axis of the pivotof one link to its position and adapted in one position to latchtogether -the lower ends of the members of a receiver, a rod pivoted toeach such latch and slidably supported transversely of the axis of thepivot of the other link to the post, a tripdog on the rod and aplurality of cams spaced along said path, each cam being adapted tocause discharge of the rod from a receiver passing by, by engagementwith the dog when the receiver is at a predetermined elevation.

SETI-I S.`BARKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 899,391 Farrell Sept. 22, 19081,467,605 Chazen Sept. 11, 1923 2,035,948 DeVout Mar. 31, 1936 1,355,999Nelson Oct. 19, 1920 2,096,572 Brunkow Oct. 19, 1937 2,138,475 HiltonNov. 29, r1933 716,692 Ellis Dec. 23, 1902 952,936 Nummedahl Mar. 22,1910 897,361 Ferris Sept. 1, 1908 1,019,555 Taylor Mar. 5, 1912 360,154Hodges Mar. 29, 1887 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 504,057 GreatBritain V.- Apr. 19, 1939

